Float-operated switch



Novu 2U i5, A. SHAPIRO FLOAT GPERATED SWITCH Vlad July l5, ggj

'Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

f UNITED i STATES SOLOMON A. SHAPIRQ, Or-MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

' FLOAT-OPERATED SWITCH.

' Application tiled July 1 5, 1921. I Serial No. 485,074.

l To all whom zt may concern: l

Be it known that I, SOnOMoN A. SHAPIRO,

resident'of the cityof Montreal, in the Prov# ince of Quebec and Dominio'n'ofA Canada, have invented. certain new and useful lm-' provements in Float-Operated Switches, of

` 1 which thelollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. l

' This invention relates to improvements in liquid level gauges, and the object of the invention is to provide a gauge which will at all times indicate the amount of liquid in a tank and which will also operate an alarm4 device ,when the liquid in the tank is'nearly exhausted.

A further object isto provide a gauge, the

i operation of which will not be afl'ected by surging of liquid in the tank.

' The device consists briefly of aftube extending nearly to the bottom of the tank and containing a float vertically movable but irrevolubletherein. .The float is operatively connected with a screw carrying an indicating hand. An alarm circuit is arranged tol Vbeclosed bythe devicewhen the level of the liquid drops to' a predetermined point.

In'. the drawings which illustrate the in- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional Viewy of the device.

Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2 2, F' ru're 1.

ig. 3 is a cross section on theline 33,

.Fi'rure 1.

other part, so as to form a substantially ey-VL lindrcal chamber having diamctricallyl opposite, inivardly'projectmg flanges or ribs extending from top to bottom thereof, as

vshown in Figures 1 and 3. The lower end of the chamber is provided with a bottom 14 having a small Opening 15 for the entrance of liquid. EIntermedlate the top and bottom of the chamber, one or more compaia tively large opening 16 may be provided for the'entrance of liquid. rllhc upper end of the chamber is'provided with an outwardly y to ith neck o f'a tank by `means of an intera subject Of the' King of Great Britain'. aiidinally hread'ed flanged nut 18. The top ofv Athe chamber is closed byl a plate 19 of sufprojeing flange17 adapted for attachment ficient" thickness'to provide clearance bctween the'nut 18 and a dial casing 2() secured in any suitable manner to the top 19. "This dial casing is. disposed eccentri- Acally with respect to the chamber, as will be clearly seen in Figures 1v and 2. The casing is provided with a. transparent;` top 2l retained b v `a bezel ring 22 whichcarries an externally disposed block of insulating located at that point of the circumference nearest-the axis of the chamber 11.

An operating screw 27 is disposed axially in the. chamber and comprises a flat strip or barof suflcient stiffness twisted about its axis through approximately 360, thus providing for a single turn in the length ofthe screw. The upper `end of the screw is cylindrically formed and is journalled in the top of the chamber, and bottom of the dial casing, through which it projects a sufficicnt distance to carry an indicating needle '28, the point of which is hooked as at 29 to enable it to enter the block 23 and engage the terminal 24. Owing to the eccentric disposition of the dial casing, and float chamber,'t he needle in swinging through its are of' travel will enter'the slots 25 and 26,

v'so that its hooked end will pass outside the' casing for the purpose of engaging the externally disposed terminal. A dial 30 is located in the casing 20 and is inscribed with characters 31 indicating the capacity of the' tank in gallons, cubic feet, inches ot' level, or any other unit of measurement. This dial is so disposed that the needle Will engage the terminal at the same time that .it indicates on the dial a nearly complete exhaustion of liquid. For example, in a tank of ten gallons capacity, the needle may en# gage thc terminal when indicating one gallon in the tank as shown in Figure 2.

The screw is operated by means of a float 32 of cork or other suitable material 'centrally apertur'ed to permit rotation of the screw therethrough. The upper end of this float carries a disc 33 of metal notched at diametrically opposite points 34 to engage the flanges 13, so as to hold the float against rotation in the chamber. The dise is also provided with a centrally disposed elongatei'l slot 35 for the passage of the screw. This slot forms an operative connection between the float and screw by means of which the 'crew is rotated on the rise or fall of the oat.

As the float rises or falls in the tank by' reason of change in the liquid level, it rotates the screw to position the needle 28 and indicates on the dial the amount of liquid in the tank. As the ,liquid level falls and the needle swings toward zero, it passes, owing to its eccentric disposition in the casinfr, through the slot 25 and finally, when onlly a predetermined 'amount of liquid remains, the needle engages the terminal 24 to which one side of an electric circuit is connected, the other side being grounded on the gauge or on any metal parts electrically connected to it. According,r to the present invention, this circuit includes an audible alarm device 36, which in the case of an automobile or motor boat may be a special device or the electric horn generally used. A signal thus given will persist until the operator either replenishes the tank or 0 ens the circuit at a special switch 3T.

hen the tank is filled the liquid will rise tuite slowly in the chamber by reason of t e' small aperture l5 but, when the tank is partly full, the large openings 1G will lic submerged and liquid will run into the chamber quite rapidly, so that the float will rise at the same rate as the liquid. When the liquid is exhausted below the level ot the openings 16, the small bottoni opening,r 15 will so check the in or out flow of liquid that the liquid level in the chamber will.

' not be materially affected by surging ot .rise and fall rapidly in the cham er.

liquid in the tank and in this way the alarn will not be sounded prematurely, as migl readily happen when the true level a preached the alarm point if the l uid coul disposition ofthe terminal outside the dial casing precludes the possibility of any spar in the terminal igniting gas which migl have found its way into the casing an thereby creat-ing an explosion.

lVhile the foregoing description and th drawings illustrate the preferred elnbod ment ot' my invention, it will he understoo that the invention is not limited to detail of construction therein described and illus tratcd but includes all minor modification and mechanical equivalents.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is;-

1. In a gauge, a dial casing` a .Grafi dial therein a needle mounted eccentricall of said casing,lr and oscillatable therein t cooperate with the dial, the casing,y beim apertured in its circumference for the cgres and ingress of said needle, and an clectri contact disposed externally of thc casing;l ii position to be engaged by said needle on lh` egress thereof from the casing.

2. In a gauge, a dial casinof, an electrica Contact eccentrically mounted in said casing and movable therein, said casinar being ancr lured for the egress and ingress oi sait contact, a lateral projection on the end oi the' contact an insulator disposed exiicriorlj.' otvlhe casing provided with. a pocket for rcceiviiu the said lateral projection and si second electric contact secured within aan iockei in iosition to be eneao'ed bu the mov f zo :n .l

able contact on the egress ot the latter 'Irons the casing. f

In witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

, SOLOMON A. SHAPRO. 

